8 points amichail | 1 comments | 13 Jul 25 15:20 UTC | HN request time: 0.211s | source

In particular, the C64 could have started with a BASIC program already in memory and ready to run.

It could even automatically LIST and then RUN the program for you.

To avoid annoying the user, the program should just compute something, print the result, and exit without requiring any user input.

You could even have a collection of short programs in ROM, with one randomly selected each time the C64 starts up.

Do you think this would have encouraged more users to learn BASIC programming?

1. BjoernKW ◴[13 Jul 25 21:12 UTC] No.44553777[source]▶

>>44551044 (OP) #

Quite to the contrary, the C64 instantly booting into what was both an operating system and a readily accessible programming environment to start creating with right away already was an immensely powerful concept - an empty canvas to fill with your own creations.

I wrote about this subject in more detail here: https://bjoernkw.com/2016/03/13/load81/

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Ask HN: Could the C64 startup screen have encouraged more users to learn BASIC?